


Birds of a Feather

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Children of War [18]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 09:19:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8280701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: “Remember when we were kids and we had imaginary pets?”Ruri smiles, and her eyes immediately start to fill with tears. “We always had birds,” she says. “We wanted them so badly, but we weren’t allowed.”Shun nods. “I think we’re allowed now.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> In reality, it is absolutely illegal to take an animal from the wild and turn it into a house pet. Taking an injured duckling inside to cut fishing line off of it, fine. Taking it to a vet, fine. But you’re not allowed to take a duckling from the wild and just keep it, not unless you’re a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and the animal has been shown to be too dependent on humans to be released into the wild (which, ideally, does not happen). Just remember that, kiddos.

Rin joins Shun and Ruri for a trip to the duck pond, armed with a bag of bread crumbs. The day is warm, but not yet overly so. The true heat of summer is a few weeks off yet, and soon Shun and Ruri will need to be up at dawn to see their birds. But upon arriving at the duck pond, all thoughts of bird watching are abandoned as Rin lets out a heartbroken scream. A duckling lies crumpled at the edge of the pond, tangled in fishing line. She rushes towards it, hesitating for only a second, but it’s long enough. The duckling lets out an alarmed peep and begins to flail.

“Still alive,” Rin gasps, “There is a god!” She scoops the duckling up in her hands to examine it. The line is wrapped around its body and is pinning its legs together.

“We need a scissor,” Shun says, glancing at Ruri.

“I’m not a hardware store!” Ruri sputters. “Don’t you have a pocketknife?”

Shun shakes his head. This is when they need Serena, or Yuri, Shun’s pretty sure at least one of them carries a switchblade.

“Well I’m going back home, then,” Rin says, standing up. The duckling continues peeping, and Rin cradles it to her body.

“We’ll go, too,” Shun says. He and Ruri can’t possibly watch birds when they’re worried about a duckling.

The trio hurry home. Rin carries the duckling and tries to keep it still, but the poor thing is frantic, and Shun’s got a shadow in his mind that whispers that the duckling might be beyond saving.

Once they get home, Shun runs to the kitchen and grabs a pair of sewing scissors and paper towels. He sets the towels on the kitchen table, and Rin puts the duckling down gently. It start wriggling, and Shun swears. He’s afraid he’ll cut the little bird by accident.

Rin scoops the duckling into her hands once more, and after a brief struggle it goes still, peeping quietly. Rin starts crying, and Ruri hugs her. Shun begins carefully cutting the line away, and after a tense few minutes, the bird is free. Shun carefully maneuvers it, and sees that it does have a cut on its leg, and when the duckling tries to move the afflicted leg, the cut begins to bleed.

Rin is practically hysterical. “Poor baby, poor baby!” She sobs. She raises her voice, “DAD, DAD, S.O.S!”

There’s a thump and Shuzo comes racing into the kitchen from his bedroom. “I’m here!” He cries. The school opens late today, and he’s still in his pajamas.

Rin holds out her hands to show him the duckling. She can’t speak, she’s crying so hard, so Ruri speaks for her.

“We found it at the pond, it was all tangled in fishing line, and it’s bleeding, look!”

Shuzo lets out a gasp. “No worries, I know a vet close by!” He snatches his car keys, runs to the stairs and bellows, “YUZU! SERENA! I’M LEAVING WITH YOUR SIBLINGS! DON’T LEAVE THIS HOUSE WITHOUT TEXTING ME!”

The four of them run to the van, and they’re halfway down the block when Shun turns to Shuzo and says, “You’re not dressed.”

“Who cares?” Shuzo says, glancing at the rearview mirror. Rin is stroking the duckling’s head and sniffling. “This is more important.”

They make it to the vet in ten minutes, and Rin is the first in the door. She rushes up to the reception desk and thrusts the duckling in the face of some poor vet tech.

“Fishing line!” Rin wails.

Perhaps the office just isn’t busy, perhaps Rin’s hysteria has everyone thinking that the world is coming to an end, but Shun’s sure that it’s not normal for someone to walk into a vet’s office with a duckling and be in an exam room in two minutes flat. By this point, the ducking seems to have regained some kind of control over its limbs, and it flaps its wings and peeps up at Rin. Shun thinks that’s a good sign, the bird isn’t listless at least.

A vet tech cleans the duckling’s wound and wraps it, and when Rin points out where the line was wrapped around its body, the tech says she’s going to take the duckling into the back of the office for an x-ray. As soon as the duckling is out of her hands, Rin collapses on the floor in tears.

“There, there,” Shuzo says, kneeling next to Rin and hugging her. “It’s getting help now, that’s what’s important.”

Rin hiccups, “W-what if we were too late?”

“It doesn’t act like a dying bird,” Shun says, “And trust me, you would know if it was. That duckling acts like it’s not done with the world just yet.”

“Shun’s right,” Ruri agrees. “Those little guys are hardy things, I promise.”

And when the technician comes back into the exam room, a vet following behind with the duckling in her hands, both the tech and the vet are all smiles.

“Good news,” the vet says, “No broken bones!” She places the duckling on the exam table. It wobbles a bit, but is able to stand on its uninjured leg.

“With some food and rest, I say this little one has a good shot at a full recovery,” the vet says.

Rin finally stops crying and holds out her hands for the duckling. It settle in her palms, peeping contentedly, and Rin turns to Shuzo with the biggest puppy-dog eyes she can muster. “Can he stay with us?”

Honestly, she probably didn’t need the puppy-dog eyes, but certainly, they didn’t hurt. Shuzo says yes, and Rin lets out a delighted shout and vows that she’s going to make taking care of the little duckling her number one priority. And with summer vacation in full swing, there’s nothing stopping her from doing just that.

 

In one week, the Hiragii household turns into baby duck central. After careful research it has been determined that they do have a juvenile Mandarin duck, but Shun and Ruri guessed as much, since they know the Mandarin duck flock just had hatchlings amongst their numbers. Rin has bought pellets and vegetables, a baby pool, a heat lamp, and all kinds of other random things to make her little one as comfortable as possible. The duckling takes a few days to truly warm up to Rin, but by the end of the first week, it’s following her around the way it would a mother duck. It even joins her in the shower and sleeps in her bedroom.

“So what are you calling it?” Shun asks one day as he and Rin watch the duckling paddle in the baby pool.

“Not a clue,” Rin says. “I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet.”

The fact is, all wild baby ducks look the same, no matter what gender they are, so it’s going to be a while before they know what sex Rin’s duckling is.

“Do you really think the duck cares?” Shun asks.

Rin shrugs. “I guess not. I just call it Baby.”

Shun wrinkles his nose. “C’mon, it needs a better name than that.”

“Fish?” Rin suggests.

“That’s just cruel.”

“Fluffy?”

Shun rolls his eyes. “Unimaginative.”

Rin looks at the duckling. She’s quiet for a minute, then she finally says, “Star.”

“Perfect,” Shun says. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Rin smiles. “No, I guess it wasn’t.”

The duckling peeps loudly and Rin holds out her hand. It clambers into her palm and she sets it down in the grass next to a dish of finely chopped lettuce.

“Are you hoping for a boy?” Shun asks.

Rin blushes. “Well, it would be nice…but I just want it to be healthy.”

“Are you keeping it?” Shun asks.

Rin sighs. “I want to…should I?”

“Try it,” Shun says. “If it doesn’t want to leave, don’t make it. They do migrate but I think it’ll be smart enough to know a good place to stay year round.”

“You think dad will let me?”

“Let you,” Shun scoffs. “If he didn’t have to teach, he’d be sitting here with us, he’s as smitten as you are!”

But the whole family is smitten with Star. The duckling has wormed it’s way into everyone’s hearts, and it’s planted an idea in Shun’s head, one he’s anxious to talk to Ruri about.

He and Ruri don’t make a schedule or plan ahead, but on some nights they just look at each other and an unspoken thought passes between them, and they know the other wants to talk. Ruri follows Shun to his bedroom one night after dinner, and Shun takes her hand and says, “Remember when we were kids and we had imaginary pets?”

Ruri smiles, and her eyes immediately start to fill with tears. “We always had birds,” she says. “We wanted them so badly, but we weren’t allowed.”

Shun nods. “I think we’re allowed now.”

It’s something they haven’t even thought of in the nearly two years they’ve been living in standard, not even when Serena got Hyperion. There was always something else on their minds, and they didn’t talk about it even to each other.

Ruri wipes her eyes. “I would love a bird. God, I would love it so much.”

Shun hugs her. “Me, too. And I think Sh—I think dad would be okay with it.”

“Can we ask him now?” Ruri asks.

Shun nods. “Let’s go ask.”

Shuzo is in the kitchen, washing dishes. He smiles at them as they walk over and asks what’s up.

Ruri clears her throat. “When Shun and I were kids we used to pretend we had pets. We were never allowed real ones so we imagined.”

Shuzo turns off the water and dries his hands. “You did? What did you want?”

Ruri grabs Shun’s hand and squeezes it. “Birds,” she says. “Lovebirds were our favorites.”

“I know lovebirds!” Shuzo says, “Oh, they’re cute! Do you still want them?”

Shun and Ruri nod.

“Aw, kids!” Shuzo says, “You could have told me sooner, it’s okay to ask for things.”

“We didn’t even think about it,” Shun says. “I guess we were just…so busy thinking about other stuff and so used to hearing the word no.”

“Well, you do know that they would be your responsibility, right?” Shuzo asks. “You take care of them on a daily basis. I’ll help you out with managing the financial aspect of it and if they ever need vet care I’ll help with that too—”

Shun actually sobs. He claps a hand over his mouth but it’s already escaped him.

“Shun?” Shuzo asks.

“Is...is that a yes?” Shun asks.

Shuzo nods. “It’s a yes, you can have lovebirds if you want them.”

Ruri sways on her feet. “Plural? More than one?”

“One for both of you!” Shuzo cries, “Isn’t that what you meant?”

“We…we just thought…like, one to share.” Shun says

Shuzo looks at them fondly. “Kids, you can each have one if you want. You can share one, but I think two would be a lot nicer, don’t you think?”

“Even if Rin keeps Star?” Ruri asks. “I mean, with Star and Hyperion…”

Shuzo waves his hand. “So what? It’s a big house, I think a few pets will make it more lively.”

“Birds are loud,” Shun says. “They might be a pain.”

Shuzo places one hand on Shun’s shoulder, and his other on Ruri’s. “I know,” he says softly. “I know they’re loud, they need space to fly, they’ll probably chew the walls and curtains, and they’ll need special care. You can give them free reign of your bedrooms, we can put stands in the living rooms and we can harness train them.” Shuzo smiles. “I had a lovebird myself when I was a kid. I called her Daisy. She was a sweet thing, I miss her sometimes even now. But I remember what it was like, the good and the bad. Pets aren’t perfect but they bring so much joy to our lives. You kids ought to be able to experience that joy.”

Shun starts crying again, and so does Ruri. Shuzo hugs them and tells them that they can always ask him for things, some things he might say no to, but overall he wants them to be happy and he wants to give them what he can.

Two years ago, Shun didn’t think Shuzo would be anything more than another foster parent. Now, he’s starting to think that Shuzo is the best father he could have ever hoped for.

 

Ruri and Shun have done a lot of research on birds, but they do some more now that they can really own a real bird. They figure out what kind of cage to buy and decide to buy two, so they can keep the birds in separate cages. They’ll place the cages next to each other so the birds can be social and see how they get along from there. They contact independent breeders and find one close by who they like. They buy the cages, toys, feed, and even bird flight harnesses before they even go to see the actual birds.

Since the breeder they’ve chosen to adopt from lives close by, the entire family decides to tag along to see the birds. The woman Shun and Ruri have spoken to, Hana, welcomes them all into the house and takes them to her upstairs floor, where the birds stay. Originally, Shun and Ruri planned on getting young birds, only a few months old, so they could bond with them while they were still babies. But the moment Shun walks into the room, and older bird flies towards him and perches on top of his head.

Serena smirks at Shun. “In Soviet Russia, bird adopts you.”

“What does that even mean?” Shun asks as he holds out his hand to the bird, trying to get it on his finger.

“Tumblr humor,” Serena says.

Hana finally gets the bird off Shun’s head and onto his hand, and Shun has only to look at it to fall in love. “Is this one available for adoption?” He asks.

Hana grins. “He is. It’s a shame he’s been here for so long, he just never seemed to click with anyone who came through. He’s a year old, a little feisty, but a sweet thing once he warms up to people.”

“He’s beautiful,” Shun says. He has dark blue wings and a grey body, and his head is completely black.

“He looks like he’s wearing a ski mask,” Rin says. “It’s cute!”

Shun strokes the bird’s chest with one finger. “How ‘bout it, little guy?” He asks quietly. The bird dips his head and gently nibbles on Shun’s finger. Shun is hooked.

Ruri takes her time choosing a young bird, and after nearly half an hour she picks out a three month-old blue and green bird with rosy cheek feathers, also a boy.

“Perfect,” Shuzo says, “There will be no accidental babies.”

Hana places the birds in travel boxes and gives Ruri and Shun her email address so they can send her updates on how the birds are doing.

In the car, Rin turns to Shun and asks, “So what’s his name?”

“Revolution,” Shun says without hesitation.

Rin and Serena both laugh.

“Long name for such a little guy,” Serena says.

“Then he can be Rev,” Shun says. “He’s wearing a ski mask, clearly this bird is up to some shady business.”

“I like it,” Ruri says. “Very fitting.”

“So what’re you naming yours?” Shun asks.

“Sapphire,” Ruri answers. “Though I think his blue is more baby blue, I just love that name for a bird.”

“I think it’s cute,” Shun says.

At home, Ruri and Shun introduce the birds to their cages and give them time to settle in. They watch them check out the toys and figure out where their food dishes are. Revolution clings to the cage bars and screeches at Shun each time he walks away, so Shun already knows that once school starts again, leaving him is going to be fun.

Hana has already done some training with Sapphire and a lot with Revolution, so Rev is pretty hand tame. The trick is getting him to realize that being in a new home does not negate everything he’s already learned. Once Shun starts taking Rev into his room for free flight, he learns that Rev is perfectly content to sit on top of his head or on his shoulder, at least until Shun starts trying to do anything on his computer. Then, oh boy, then Rev is beside himself, dancing across the keyboard and hiding under Shun’s hands, desperate for attention.

“Baby bird,” Shun teases whenever Rev does this. “Baby bird, cry baby bird!”

Sapphire needs a lot of work, but Ruri is up to the task. In a few short weeks she teaches Sapphire the step up command, to come to her and perch on her finger when she whistles, and not to bite unfamiliar fingers. One of Sapphire’s quirks is sticking his head in whatever Ruri is eating, and Ruri has to put him inside her shirt to get him not to steal all her food.

“Pervert,” she calls him whenever she tucks him into her collar. “You just like my boobs, don’t you?”

Eventually, Shun and Ruri get both birds accustomed to their flight harnesses, and they’re able to take them outside to enjoy the fresh air and grass, and the company of Star.

On the last day of summer vacation, the Hiragii’s have a barbecue and invite the Sakaki’s over. Shun and Ruri introduce their birds to their friends, and Star waddles amongst everyone’s feet, quacking at them until they drop crumbs.

“So how happy are you?” Shun asks Rin as they watch Star harass Yugo.

Rin giggles. “Too happy for words!”

Star has turned out to be a boy.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sapphire : http://rainbow-galaxy-supernova.tumblr.com/post/151794036536 (bird on the left, but imagine it with pink cheek feathers)
> 
> Revolution : http://rainbow-galaxy-supernova.tumblr.com/post/151794044091
> 
> Star : just google image search Mandarin duck, good lord they are too pretty!


End file.
